Shavuot: Say Cheese

 A holiday with cheese as the main ingredient is right up my alley! Last night my Israeli family and I gathered at my husband's mother's home for a festive dinner....everything we ate involved cheese in some way!  Of course cheese is always improved with a nice glass of red wine - and there was plenty of that.

As we ate and enjoyed my mother-in-law reminded me of another aspect of the celebration - Ruth. She told me, "You know, this is your holiday." She explained how it is a celebration of Ruth the Moabite who married Obed. Obed then fathered Jesse and Jesse fathered the great and honored King David.

We Christians carry the lineage even further. Joseph (as shown in Luke chapter 3) and Mary (shown in Matthew chapter 1) both come from the line of David. Therefore Christians also see Ruth as part of the lineage of Jesus Christ.

In a book I read, "Your People Shall Be My People," by Don Finto, he explains another way to look at the story we celebrate over Shavuot. He pictures Naomi as representative of the Jewish nation and her gentile daughters-in-law as the Church today. He explains that many in the body of Christian believers have turned away from Israel much in the way of Orpah.

In fact he says for centuries the church has been an Orpah - neglecting her responsibilities to the Jewish people and in so doing has lost a rich blessing and heritage that is granted to the church through Israel. He believes all believers should confess personally and corporately on behalf of the Church for the persecution of the Jewish people.

He believes that when the Church is reconciled to the Jewish people that it will be changed in a beautiful and powerful way. He calls on all believers to make the same pledge as Ruth made to Naomi, "Your people shall be my people and your God, my God."

It is beautiful and particularly meaningful for me as a non-Jew living in Israel and married to my own "Boaz". In fact our wedding vowels included that pledge of Ruth. However one doesn't have to live in Israel or be married to an Israeli to express the same sentiment. All believers, no matter where they are, can spiritually make the same commitment to stand with Israel through good times and hard times and to support her with the same love and commitment as did Ruth.